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Horror Book ReviewsDesperation by Stephen KingSignet, 1997.560 pp. ISBN: 0451188462 Mass market paperback. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Near a nowhere town in Nevada unlucky passerbys
are harassed and arrested by a strange twisted deputy
named Collie Entragian. This is just the beginning of
enormous bad luck for the unfortunate travelers,
as they quickly find themselves living a nightmare
in a town that has gone straight to hell.
They will need all the courage they
can muster, belief in God and more to survive the town
infested with a demon-god known as "Tak" and the
possessed police officer.
Stephen King has once again written a horror masterpiece, this time making all your suspicions about small towns come true. The characters are startlingly real as are the descriptions of the horrible things that happen to them. The young boy, David Carter, and the novelist on a motorcycle adventure illustrate the sharp contrast between a devout believer and an atheist. The excitement and the frightening presence of evil will keep horror fans enthralled. And if you like stories about bad cops you will never be happier then with the character of Collie Entragian, who is the officer you never, ever want to meet. Desperation has all the elements of a fascinating horror tale; the vivid scenery, believable characters, pure evil and the presence of hope combine to create a thrilling and horrifying read. Phantoms by Dean KoontzBerkley, 1997.432 pgs. ISBN: 0425162028 Mass market paperback. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Phantoms is a suspensful horror tale of the horrible demise
of small mountain community and the terrifying conclusions
about what happened to it. Two residents of Snowfield return
home to find a mysteriously quiet abandoned town and start
searching for answers. When a Sheriff arrives and
grotesquely bruised bodies are found tense
feelings arise. The suspense grows as you begin to
realize that whatever has taken care of the entire
population of Snowfield may still be there.
The danger in this twisting, feaful
tale ends up being something that has been a terror
throughout man's existence.
This is one of Koontz's top novels with strong characters and a well-developed story line. A tie-in to mass dissapearances throughout history, such as the mysterious Roanoke colony dissapearance, enchances the pull of the story. You will want to find out what causes these mass dissapearances and why no one ever figured out what happened. Phantoms doesn't disappoint on any level; the town-killing problem in this novel is just as compelling as its associated mystery. Like the other Koontz novels there are plenty of horror chills and thrills along the way, making this novel a classic. Return to Book Reviews Index |